Patent Literature 1 describes a process for manufacturing porous activated carbon. Furthermore, Patent Literature 2 describes a process for manufacturing a graphite material which is porous and which has a high specific surface area. Patent Literatures 1 and 2 disclose formation of porous carbon by reaction between silicon carbide (SiC) and chlorine gas (Cl2).
Non Patent Literature 1 shows that carbon materials with nanosized micropores can be formed by subjecting metal carbides to a chlorination treatment. Examples of the metal carbides described therein include SiC, TiC, B4C, Al4C3, and so on. Furthermore, it is shown that the porosities and pore size distributions of the carbon materials are different depending upon types of the metal carbides.